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Green Bay Packers: Defense doesn't show on Sunday

By Tyler DunneMilwaukee Journal Sentinel

Posted:
11/27/2012 12:01:00 AM CST

Updated:
11/27/2012 08:17:14 AM CST

The New York Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw is run down by Green Bay's Morgan Burnett during the the first quarter in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Sunday, November 25, 2012. The New York Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers, 38-10. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/MCT)

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Dom Capers waited, waited and waited for a momentum-changing play Sunday. Something, anything that could reverse the direction of the Green Bay Packers' 38-10 loss to the New York Giants.

That play never came. Cornerback Casey Hayward dropped a pass he might have taken back for a touchdown. Morgan Burnett and Davon House collided on a potential interception.

"This is a game where you have to find some way, when the momentum's going against you, to break that momentum," the defensive coordinator Capers said. "That was the thing we weren't able to do."

A year ago, the Packers could survive these games. They gave up 300, 400 yards regularly but offset the sloppiness with turnovers. This season, Capers' unit has not been forcing turnovers but it is playing tighter across the board. Communication breakdowns and missed tackles are down.

That is, until Sunday night, Nov. 25. Green Bay wasn't forcing turnovers and was getting gashed for big plays. So one day after the wreckage, the Packers' defense is under the microscope again.

The Giants rolled up 390 total yards, 23 first downs and 38 points. Green Bay was missing three starters in Clay Matthews, Charles Woodson and Sam Shields but the problems of last season returned ... without the turnovers.

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"This game here is the first time we've really had to deal with adversity early on because we've been such a good starting team," Capers said, "so we've got to learn from that, no matter what happens, we've got to find some way to get that momentum swung back in our favor."

One common sight in the Packers' loss at MetLife Stadium was a hesitant Tramon Williams. The team's No. 1 cornerback was hung up too long by Giants fullback Henry Hynoski on the 59-yard screen pass to Ahmad Bradshaw. And at the end of the first half, Williams had Giants receiver Rueben Randle wrapped up 6 yards behind the first-down marker but couldn't pull him down.

One play later, Bradshaw scored to make it 31-10.

Last season, plagued by nerve damage in his shoulder, Williams had a good excuse for the occasional missed tackle. The pain forced Williams to change his game. He played off receivers and shied away from contact.

When these two plays were brought up Monday, Capers was quick to defend Williams. On the screen play, he said Williams "felt the blocker coming from outside in on him and probably just misjudged just how close that blocker was." And on Randle's catch, Capers said "(Williams) tried to spin the guy to the ground rather than just keep his feet driving." The coach doesn't believe Williams' shoulder is an issue.

"I haven't seen any indication of that this year," Capers said. "I think he's done a much better job tackling this year."

As bad as things were, Capers believes an interception, like Hayward's dropped pick, could have changed the course of the game.

The Packers never did get that turnover. Instead, they got a "reality check," Capers said.

"You better be ready to play," Capers said, "and you've got to have a way of generating momentum and changing momentum in each and every game. Unfortunately we weren't able to get that done last night, and it snowballed on us."

Confident from 55: No one play determined Sunday's game. The Giants thoroughly dominated Green Bay in every aspect. But one questionable decision did swing momentum in New York's favor.

Midway through the first quarter, coach Mike McCarthy opted to attempt a 55-yard field goal instead of trying to pin the Giants deep in their own end. Considering Crosby's struggles of late, it was a surprise. Crosby's kick hooked wide left. And with ideal field position, New York took the lead on an eight-play drive.

McCarthy did not speak to the media Monday, but special teams coach Shawn Slocum said the wind was behind Green Bay on that drive and that 55 yards was Crosby's "max distance."

"What I was pleased with was his rhythm and tempo were good," Slocum said. "He struck the ball properly and the wind kind of blew it out of the uprights. It would have been nice to make the kick.

"I don't think it was a big gamble. I think it was a situation we looked at as an opportunity to score points. In those games like that, scoring points is a premium. We made a decision to do it because Mason is well-capable of doing it. He's missed more than we would like from 50 yards this year, but at the same time, we're going to continue to be aggressive the way we play the game."

Later in the half, Crosby converted from 28 yards out. Slocum believes Green Bay's kicker is turning a corner.

"I think we've made an emphasis on hitting the ball with rhythm and tempo right down the target line and taking the complication out of it," Slocum said. "I thought he did that last night."

No Jones: Wide receiver James Jones' eight touchdown catches ranks third in the NFL. At New York -- with the Packers in desperate need of a big play -- Jones was targeted zero times.

The last time Jones went through an entire game without a target was Dec. 4, 2011, against Oakland, a span of 16 games. Offensive coordinator Tom Clements said Sunday's snub was the result of how the Giants were playing the Packers.

"James is having a good year," Clements said. "It's unfortunate he didn't catch any passes yesterday. I'm sure it's frustrating for him, it's frustrating for all of us. We're trying to be as productive as we can against the types of defenses we see and hopefully we can improve on that in the upcoming weeks."

Jones has 42 receptions for 495 yards on the season.

Overload: No back or receiver touches the ball more in Green Bay than Randall Cobb. Eleven games into the season he has 58 catches, nine carries, 30 kick returns and 20 punt returns.

This is something the Packers have monitored throughout the season. On special teams, Slocum does not see a tired, fatigued player.

"Randall was fired up," Slocum said. "He was after it the whole game and excited about it and he was in the huddle every time gung-ho and I didn't ever see him winded."

At New York, Cobb returned six kicks for 156 yards (26.0 avg.).

"Randall is a competitive guy and he's loving playing football," Slocum said. "He's in his element there."